Posted - 03/12/2018 : 6:00:17 PM There's a certain amount of luck involved in these first round playoffs. St. Cloud had to come from behind to get game three to overtime last night; Miami nearly pulled off the upset.

The one thing UNO desperately needs is to get solid goaltending when it's playoff time. I think Wenninger has the potential to do that, but he's going to need help from his defense. Other than Ryan Massa, UNO hasn't had that kind of goalie for most of the last 15 years.

Posted - 03/12/2018 : 10:40:00 AM Another road sweep. Disappointing but a much better effort on Saturday than Friday. The wrong way streak of not getting to the (any)conference semi finals is embarrassing. I'm hoping we're singing a different tune next season after Gabinet's 2nd year. This team needs to shed the "not ready for prime time players" label.

revenge is a meal best served cold

Quinn

Posted - 03/12/2018 : 07:16:49 AM Omaha still hasn't won a playoff series since they were in the CCHA. Just an incredible streak and not one to be proud of...

overall: I'm going to give Gabinet a C for his first year: some good wins and some ties that should be wins. Hard to implement completely new system in the first year, but Gabinet did have some success.

Looking forward to next year.

all the top seeds advance, and North dakota probably needs to win a game to get in the NCAA.

I'm going to be in St paul next weekend should be a fun tournament. if you see me come up and say hello!

Quinn

West O Mike

Posted - 03/05/2018 : 7:05:25 PM I was optimistic last March as well; I liked UNO's chances at Western. And UNO almost made it to the semis; two games went to overtime.

I think the only area of improvement I feel is definitive is Wenninger over the last couple of months. (Basically, the post Miami defense-optional game.) With UNO playing a softer schedule (especially at home - no games with Denver), I think UNO is about-the-same for the most part on the season.

Posted - 03/04/2018 : 1:31:20 PM I agree Quinn. The split in Duluth was disappointing but still encouraging. I like our chances in Grand Forks. GO MAVS!

revenge is a meal best served cold

Quinn

Posted - 03/04/2018 : 11:23:03 AM the NCHC Tournament is set! Pretty happy with a split at UMD, unfortunately UNO gets to go on the road but the good news is I like our matchup with UND.

UND has had a major problem scoring goals I like our chances!

Going out on a limb and predicting UNO wins in 3

I was highly critical of Gabinet as the new coach but he has done a decent job, so I'm starting to warm up to the current coaching staff. it's nice to have optimism in march. so I apologize that some of my criticism was somewhat unwarranted.

I still don't quite get all the blais hate that is still prevalent among the fan base

Other predictions:

I like SCSU to crush miami in 2. Miami has thrown in the towel and just wants to go golfing.

UMD over western in 2: western isn't the same without allison and conrad.

Upset special pick: CC over DU in 3. CC has been much improved this year and I think denver's inconsistency will come back to haunt them.

Shout out the the Pride on Ice for getting bounced out of the big 10 by penn state. couldn't happen to a nicer fan base. too bad they are going to make the tournament along with michgan... blech!!!

Wishing Dick Umile a happy retirement

sad to see Matt thomas get the axe at UAA. he lost two recruiting classes with the program cancellation rumors and just not good optics from UAA to convince anyone they were supportive of Ice hockey at that school.

Good luck to whoever is crazy enough to go coach there...

Quinn

montrealmav

Posted - 03/03/2018 : 11:12:32 AM What a great, gutsy road win last night in Duluth. One more win tonight and the playoffs begin at Baxter. GO MAVS!

revenge is a meal best served cold

West O Mike

Posted - 02/28/2018 : 12:54:01 PM If UNO doesn't get a win in Duluth, they'll probably end up in Denver against the defending champs. That could be an 0-4 end to the season.

I dug into the stats a little more. So far, UNO is 2-8 against the top ten this season; last season, they went 4-14-1. That's eight fewer games against top ten competition this season.

Posted - 02/27/2018 : 3:07:04 PM The next two weekends will tell us a lot...

Other than a pair of Friday wins against North Dakota, our second-half Ws came against Miami, Western Michigan, and Colorado College.

Out of 60 D-1 hockey programs, those teams rank 51st (Miami), 59th (WMU), and 48th (CC) in team defense. We are ranked 60th in team defense.

The team has been playing better the last two weekends (after a bye week), so I am hopeful they can put something together against UMD, and whichever team is the eventual playoff foe.

We won the games we should have won this season (in particular, at home).. That is a positive.

We have gone 3-9 against the 4 teams that currently reside in the top half of the NCHC (St. Cloud, Denver, Duluth, and North Dakota). Two of those wins came against North Dakota (a team that has gone 2-5-3 in their last 10 games).

So there is still work to do, but weve seen some positive steps in the right direction.

I cant do a full post mortem on the season until we see the outcome of the next four games  and any further post season games after that.

West O Mike

Posted - 02/26/2018 : 10:46:44 PM

quote:Originally posted by nousefouraname

If they don't make it any farther than the first weekend of the NCHC playoffs, I'll chalk this season up as a good first step. I wasn't expecting magic this year, but the home games have generally been fun and entertaining for the first time in the last couple of years.

Thank the schedule makers for that. Last year, we went 2-8 against top ten teams in the Pairwise at Baxter.

This year, we went 1-3 against top ten teams in Omaha. That's six fewer games against the elites of college hockey.

Posted - 02/26/2018 : 1:44:27 PM If they don't make it any farther than the first weekend of the NCHC playoffs, I'll chalk this season up as a good first step. I wasn't expecting magic this year, but the home games have generally been fun and entertaining for the first time in the last couple of years.

West O Mike

Posted - 02/26/2018 : 12:15:43 PM The big difference is that UNO has finally figured out how to play at Baxter; the first two years, they were losing about 2 out of 3 home games. That's obviously been rectified.

The flip is that now they can't play on the road; the last two years, they've been above .500, which is actually pretty good. But that's flipped now.

Posted - 02/26/2018 : 01:08:09 AM Agreed, fun to watch. I like what Gabinet has done and how he has the team playing. I wouldn't discount any team in the top 20 of the PWR from making the tourney with the quality of teams some teams could play in their conference tourneys. The right teams win, the right teams lose and you can gain some good ground.

admin

Posted - 02/25/2018 : 12:21:13 PM Considering the fact that UNO has won one (1) road game since Nov. 10 (and 4 road wins total), we are lucky to still be in contention for anything...

Im not going to get too worked up one way or the other with the outcome this season. Its been fun to watch... even if we go no further than the 1st round of the NCHC playoffs...

Lots of different scenarios headed into the last week of the season. UNO has some work to do and headed into a very difficult series against UMD. UMD dominated UNO earlier this year so its going to be a tall order.

North Dakota may not make the NCAA tournament after their weekend against miami. and UND gets st. cloud next week.

Clarkson finally gets a win last night.

12 teams are currently at 90 percent or better to make the NCAA according to CHN. the Big 10 could possibly get 4 teams in!

want to go off topic and give a wonderful thank you to the helpful staff at the baxter arena for locating my missing child. I'm still getting used to this domestic thing and have to admit this was the first time misplacing a child. I've misplaced car keys and a wallet, but they usually stay in the same place!

Quinn

admin

Posted - 02/18/2018 : 11:27:16 AM Losing Pope and Olofsson indefinitely is a tough blow  combined with the loss of Morelli back in Dec.

CC is 4-2-1 the past month. Theyve won a game the past two weekends at North Dakota and at Denver.

I will say that we played well defensively this weekend. Well have to give CC and UMD everything weve got.

Itll be tough pulling out three wins the next few series, but if they do theyll deserve a lot of praise.

Quinn

Posted - 02/18/2018 : 07:43:32 AM even though the mavs split this weekend while normally an acceptable result can't help feeling disappointment.

it wasn't the defense that let UNO down this weekend that's for sure. Messner logged a ton of ice time -- blocking shots and was solid on the back end. weninger made some big saves to keep Saturday's score respectable.

of bigger concern are the injuries to pope and Olofsson. loosing lots of offense with both those two out. especially pope.

CC is no easy out this year and that's going to be a grind em out series. I am hoping for a sweep, but a split seems more accurate. huge next couple weekends for UNO coming up.

UNO's tourney chances are in serious but stable condition -- a split with CC and you can pull the plug I'm afraid.

Elsewhere: looks like the penrose will be decided next week in a huge series with DU and SCSU. SCSU may even sweep that series.

What happened with miami? that team is a dumpster fire. they have too much talent on that team to roll over like they have. they were my surprise pick as well this year: I got that one wrong.

Clarkson is another team in free fall: they will make the tournament, but dropping games to Dartmouth and harvard doesn't exactly bode well.

Cornell quietly continues to grind out wins. a possible #1 seed for cornell and mike shaffer will female dog about where they were placed fpr the regional.

Haven't talked much atlantic hockey: but Mercyhurst currently leading the conference. they have some wins against the Big10 and as we have seen atlantic hockey is no pushover come tourney time.

also: keep an eye on northeastern in Hockey east: nice sweep of vermont this weekend, plus they won some over-rated tournament called the beanpot that no one outside of Massachusetts gives a rats ass about.

Quinn

West O Mike

Posted - 02/17/2018 : 11:50:07 PM I think UNO has to sweep Colorado College next weekend in order to make it to the NCAAs.

Posted - 02/12/2018 : 7:32:33 PM Had me laughin' out loud with that one, John. Thanks!I don't disagree on ECAC and Hockey East each getting just two this year. Certainly Harvard over BC in Beanpot prelim tonight didn't hurt ECAC chances any.Yesterday, I did some research on the Frozen Four, since the major college realignment in 2013-2014. This is what I found...

between the two, I think cornell will be a tougher out come tournament time.

ECAC and Hockey east may only get 4 teams in the tournament between the two conferences.

Quinn

iowabasedtraveler

Posted - 02/11/2018 : 11:50:51 PM Quinn,I assume that you and I are the only two remaining on here (and not Twitter or whatever), so I will address this to you...Read your fairly-recent lines about Cornell's quality-of-wins and Clarkson's circling-of-the-drain.Now that I am a Colgate season ticket-holder and I've seen both of those teams at home and on the road...doesn't PWR automatically take into account Cornell's quality-of-wins?and do you think Clarkson will make the NCAA tourney, or not?Being that I am an ECAC regular now, I am very impressed with both teams this season (and Union). My guess is that they will do alright come Selection Sunday.

Quinn

Posted - 02/11/2018 : 08:49:08 AM slow weekend in the conference but SCSU now #1 in the PWR and leads the NCHC by 3 points. looks like the conference will be decided with the SCSU V DU matchup in a couple weeks.

UNO has a great chance to make a jump in the pwr and the standings as the next 3 series are against teams right around UNO in the standings.

I'm confident of at least a split with north dakota if not an outright sweep. North dakota still having problems putting pucks in the net and they are a bit banged up right now.

also: I'm sure the blais haters will be out in force next week....

Elsewhere: Don't look now but the evil empire of die weasel scum is now sitting at 14th in the PWR. would like noting more then to see them a) not make the tournament or b) have UNO pound them in a regional and have the refs waive off a goal..

Can't believe there are only 3 weeks left in the season: always seems like it goes fast...

tickets have already been purchased for the NCHC tournament. would like noting better than UNO to actually make it this year since I'm taking the wife and kids..

Quinn

Quinn

Posted - 02/06/2018 : 3:10:35 PM For those that want to geek out a little: here is Jim Dahl's PWR Calculator:

Tough weekend for the Mavs as they fail to earn any points. hope they can regroup against bye week. bye week has been playing some fantastic hockey of late.

with 6 games left would love for UNO to go 3-3 or 4-2 to hang on to a tentative NCAA birth. North dakota I'm calling a split, I think the mavs sweep CC. I'm not confident on getting any points at Duluth.

Elsewhere: sounds like UMD got a bad call in the Saturday DU game. there are lot of black helicopter theories that DU gets a lot of favorable calls. the statistics kinda back that up: take it for what it's worth: (courtesy of the great bruce ciske)

Power play differentials (a + means a team has had more PPs than PKs, a - the opposite) by NCHC team, conference games only